Albert Lea native wins reality show, $50,000
Published 10:16 am Monday, July 14, 2014
ALBERT LEA — Area residents on Sunday celebrated an Albert Lea High School graduate’s win on HGTV’s “Brother vs Brother.”
Gathering at the Albert Lea Salvation Army to watch the finale of the show, the crowd cheered as Drew and Jonathan Scott of “Property Brothers” announced Melissa Roche was the winner of the show’s second season.
Albert Lea native Melissa Roche won the HGTV reality TV show “Brother vs Brother.” — Photo courtesy Natasha Isom Photography
She won $50,000.
“Your creativity was unmatched in this competition,” Drew Scott said. He described Roche, a 2000 Albert Lea High School graduate, as a “team player” and a “workhorse.”
Roche has her own design studio in Las Vegas and is the daughter of Mark and Marilyn Roche, who work and volunteer at the Salvation Army.
The show started with 10 contestants from all over the country, with backgrounds ranging from real estate agents and contractors to interior designers.
The brothers each led teams of five contestants, and each week there were eliminations after the teams spent a portion of the week renovating a home.
In the finale, there were four contestants remaining, and each team was asked to redesign a master bedroom and bathroom in four days with$30,000.
Mark Roche, Melissa’s father, said he hopes the win leads to further opportunities for his daughter in the future.
He recalled experiences when the family renovated their own homes when his children were younger.
“It was kind of a family affair,” he said.
The crowd cheered the win with a toast of sparkling grape juice.
